CW: When did you decide to go into the business you are in?
“When I was 19 and a sophomore in college, I decided to major in dental hygiene. Later on, I attended dental school at MUSC. These early educational choices shaped my career, and I could not be happier with my choice of dentistry as a career. It suits my desire to help people and is a creative and artistic outlet for me.”
CW: How do you find your passion?
“I found my passion for dentistry early on. I found that I enjoyed helping people improve their health and enjoyed the artistic nature of the art of dentistry. Today, my passion is in smile improvement. I love that I have the ability to increase a person’s confidence in their smile. I love that my skills in dentistry can not only improve a person’s health, but also improve their overall happiness and confidence in life.”
CW: Tell us about how you grew up and what or who shaped you into the woman you are today.
“I grew up in a small town in a family of five kids. I was the youngest. My parents were great – very hard-working, community-involved and expected a lot from us. Education was highly valued, as my dad was on the local school board for many years. Being the youngest, I was able to learn from my older siblings on how to stay out of trouble and stay on the path. My siblings are still my best mentors and friends in life.”
CW: Who influences you in your life currently?
“My husband, Butch, and my daughter, Alex, mostly. I run everything by them. They will let me know if something is a bad idea and encourage me if they think I’m on the right track.”
CW: What inspires you?
“I love to travel. I love visiting new places in the world and experiencing different cultures, trying the cuisine, visiting museums and historical landmarks and meeting new people.”
CW: Give us some success tips for someone just starting out in your line of work.
“My advice to a young dentist is to focus on developing a personal relationship with every patient and doing excellent work technically. Both of those skills take an entire career to achieve. Learning and improving is never ending. Also, hire good people, then let them soar. They will take you to a higher level of success than you can alone. I have the most wonderful team to work with at my office. They are more like family than employees, and they are the true basis of my success in dentistry.”
READ MORE
